Art Meets Empowerment in Kitty Von-Sometime’s The Weird Girls Project

What is a “weird girl”? If you look up “weird” in the dictionary, you get “fantastic, bizarre,” which perfectly describes the girls in Iceland-based artist Kitty Von-Sometime’s films. A decade ago, Kitty began using video as a visual means to test the restrictions imposed on women by the media. This idea led to her current series “The Weird Girls Project,” which seeks to empower both the women who take part and those watching. Kitty’s films have a loose story line that more closely resembles a music video, mixing elements of performance art, costume design, installation and painting. Her concept exists very much in its process. Played by “real women” volunteers, how her subjects react and transform through costume is part of how Kitty paints a moving picture of strength. Some of her other-worldly short episodes, such as “The Secret Garden,” serve to illustrate female beauty while also pushing the participants out of their comfort zones. Often portrayed as a group unit, there is also an emphasis on unity among women while celebrating their differences. The reach of her work has led to a few high profile collaborations with organizations like UN Women and major brands like Converse. This increasing interest speaks to the vast audience of her art, which includes anyone who wishes to challenge stereotypes. To date, there are twenty five episodes of “The Weird Girls Project”. The upcoming documentary film, “I Want to be Weird”, due out this fall is currently on the festival circuit. Take a look at some screenshots from the series below, courtesy of the artist.

What’s The Weird Girls Project? from Kitty Von-Sometime on Vimeo.